Apparatus for the pulverization and projection of molten metal



Jan. 12 1926. 1,569,564

w. MULLER APPARATUS FOR THE PULVERIZATION AND PROJECTION OF MOLTEN METAL Filed Jan. 26, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1,569,564 w. MULLER APPARATUS FOR THE PULVERIZATION AND PROJECTION OF MOLTEN METAL Filed Jan. 26, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INSULAT'I\ON 35- 2.5

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Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

v wILnELm mitten, or rmx, SPAIN, ASSIGNOR T0 SOCIEDAD ELECTBO-QUIMIGA 1m rmx, or TABBAGONA, FLIX rnovmcn, seam.

APPARATUS FOR THE PULVERIZATION AND PROJECTION OF MOLTEN METAL.

Application filed January 26, 1924. Serial No. 688,750.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Dr. IVILHELM MI'iLLER, a citizen of the Republic of Germany, residing at Flix, Tarragon'a, Spain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Pulverization and Projection of Molten Metal, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the processes usually referred to as metallization in which, in order to cover an object, whether metallic or not, with a coating of a particular metal, the metal is melted from one or morewires by the action of an electric are which crosses between them and this melted metal is pulverized by the action of a stream of compressed air or gas which projects it against the surface which it is desired to cover. I

In these processes it becomes difiicult to control the advance of the wire with exactness, especially in all those cases in which the blow-pipe or ap aratus which brings about the fusion an pulverization of the metal has to be worked by hand by the operator with the object of projecting the metal on the spot desired. With this object there have been employed up to the present ap paratus in which are comprised the mechanism which controls the. advance of the wire which has to be melted and the blow-pi e properly so-called and sometimes also t e reel or reels which hold the wire which has to be melted thus forming a whole which the operator holds in his hand and manipulates as he may require but these apparatus have the disadvantage that they must be of small weight and dimensions to render possible their use as hand-tools. As a result of this the motor which is used for running the mechanism, for example, an electric motor or a compressed air turbine, must be of very low ower and does not properly insure the a vance of the wire. Even by making the reels of small size and using motor of low power, these apparatus always turn out of a size which renders them unwieldly in manipulation.

These disadvantages are avoided by the present invention, thanks to which the operator has only to support with his hand the blow-pipe properly so-called, that is to say, a handle with one or more nozzles through which the wires pass out and another nozzle for the compressed air or gas, whilst the reels of wire and the mechanism which controls the advance of this wire are separated from the blow-pipe.

This invention consists in arranging the blow-pipe as separated from the mechanism which controls the advance of the wire and conduct the wire or Wires from this impelling mechanism up to the blowipe through the interior of a flexible tube w iich comprises a Wound metallic casing or hollow cable covered with an insulating coating. The wound casing or metallic cable serves for conducting thev electric current and through its interior passes the wire which has to be melted. In this way the wire pushed forward by the impelling mechanism is properly guided and compelled to follow a definite course and it is thus made sure that the whole of the quantity of wire which the impelling mechanism causes to enter through one end of the flexible tube shall likewise leave the other end of the flexible tube which communicates with the blow-pipe. The advance or feeding of'the wire is thus insured exactly the same as if the impelling mechanism formed one, whole with the blow-pipe, and, on the other hand, this impelling mechanism can be arranged to be separated from the blow-pipe and mounted on an appropriate support, by which method this mechanism and the motor which works it can be made sufficiently. strong to completely insure the advance of the wire with all exactness. The reels which hold the supply of wire which has to be impelled towards the blow-pipe may be arranged to be mounted on the same support as the impelling mechanism or they can even be mounted separately from this support and at an distance from it and therefore the size 0 these reels may be suflicient for continuouswork during a number of hours. In this last case, it is also possible to arrange the impelling mechanism fixed to the waist or other part of the body of the operator whilst the wire reels are mounted on a fixed support; in this manner providing for adequate mobility for the apparatus without unduly fatiguin the operator.

In the accompanying drawings is shown as an example an electric metallization apparatus constructed according to this in vention.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus, comprising the reels for the wire, the

advancing mechanism which impels these wires, the blow-pipe and the flexible tubes which conduct the wires to the blow-pipe.

Fig. 2 is a detail on a larger scale showing a side elevation of the motor and advancing mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism of Fig 2, and

Fig. 4 is a detail on a larger scale of the blow-pipe.

In Fig. 1 is shown the whole of the apparatus mounted on a column or support 1. This column carries a bracket conveniently fixed 2 which supports an electric motor 3 and the advancing mechanism for the wire,

which in this figure bears in its whole the number 4. The same column 1 carries a support or bracket 6 suitable for holding the two reels 7 on which are wound the two wires which constitute the electrodes of the arc. These wires 5 impelled by the advancing mechanism 4 pass through the interior of flexible tubes, which in its whole are numbered 8, and thus travel to the blow-pipe indicated by the number 9. This blow-pipe is provided with a handle 11 for holding and manipulating it and receives by means of a flexible tube the compressed air or gas necessary for the pulverization of the metal. The blow-pipe is therefore free to be handled by the operator with case because it is only joined by means of the flexible tube 10 with the compressed air tubing and by means of the two flexible tubes 8 with the advancing mechanism 4. 1

In Figures 2 and 4 is shown in more dotail the construction of the mechanism.

The electric motor 3 carries upon it and fixed by screws 13 or other suitable means, the frame of the advancing apparatus 4. This frame is made up of two plates 14 fixed by its lower part to the electric motor 3 and joined together by a central tube 15 which serves as a bearing for the axle 18 of the advancing mechanism. The side plates 14 are provided in the front part with projections 19 to which are attached heavy insulating pieces 20 which carry the nozzles 21 for guiding the wire 5. Besides that, in their upper part these plates 14 form other projections 22 provided with regulating screws 23 for the springs 24, the function of which is explained further on, so as thus to be able to regulate the pressure brought to bear by these springs.

The electric motor 3 works by means of a mechanism for speed reduction, a toothed wheel 28 which by means of a chain 29 transmits movement to the toothed'wheel 30 fixed on the axle 18 of the advancing mechanism. This axle l8 revolves in the bearing formed by the central tube 15 of the frame and is provided on each of its ends with a piece of fibre or insulating material is prolonge 31 in which is incrustated-a crown 32 of steel or other suitable material with its external surface milled so as to hold the wire well. On this crown 32 rests heavily a roller 33 and between them both passes the wire 5 which is thus compelled to advance by the movement of the axle 18.

Each one of the rollers 33 are mounted to revolve by means of the axle 34 on a fork 35 which in its turn is ivoted by means of the spindle 36 on the ug of 37 fixed on the corresponding end of the insulating piece 17. The fork 35 has fixed to it the spring 24 the end of which is insulated by means of a plate of fibre 25 and receives the pressure of the regulating screw 23 for thus graduating the strength of the s ring. This spring 24 is that which compe s the roller 33 to exert itself strongly against the crown 32 of the axle 18.

Each one of the two pieces 37 is provided with screwed bolts 38 fitted with winged nuts 39 by means of which is fixed to the piece 37 a metallic piece 40 which carries I the nozzle 41 which receives the wire 5 after it has passed through the rollers 32, 32 This nozzle 41 is extended to the other side of the piece 40 forming a tube 42 with which is joined up the flexible tube 8. This tube 8 is made up of several wire spirals 43 through the interior of which passes the wire 5 conveniently surrounded by a tube or insulating covering 44. In this manner the wire 5 is guided with exactness through the nozzles 21, 41 being compelled precisel to pass between the two rollers 32, 33, whic l communicate to it the advancing movement, and immediately after passing between these rollers and receiving the advancing movement, enetrates the nozzle 41 which forming the flexible tube '43 and conducts the wire to the blow-pipe 9.

The metallic piece 37 also carries the terminal 47 for receiving the conductor 48 of the current supply.

'As is seen by the foregoing description all the pieces which are in contact with each one of the two wires are completely insulated electrically so that all possibility of short circuits is absolutely avoided. In the same manner the two reels 7 although they are both mounted on'the common support 6 are arranged conveniently insulated the one from the other.

As is seen in detail in Fig. 4, the blowpipe 9 comprises a tube 49 which finishes in a nozzle 50 for projecting the compressed air, which tube is provided with a handle 11 which through its lower end receives the flexible tube 10 which brings up the compressed air or gas.

At-its upper end the tube 49 has fixed to it a piece 51 of fibre or other insulating material, which in its turn has fixed to 1t the two tubes 52 to which are joined up the understood these reels for flexible tubes 43, 44; These tubes 52 are conveniently curved so as to bring up the two wires in front of the nozzle 50 and finish off in small nozzles 53.

The nozzle 50 is a nozzle of the usual blow-pipe type and the nozzles 53 are nozzles of the usual kind and it is not indispensable that they should have any special arrangement. Only it is convenient to cut in these nozzles 58 a groove or reduction, as is shown at 54 on the face corresponding to the central nozzle 50 with the object of allowing the wire to pass out with more freedom.

Fig. 1 shows as an example a support 1 which carries at the same time the motor with the advancing mechanism and the reels of the wire supply, but, as it will be the wire supply can be arranged to be completely separated and mounted on another support apart from that which supports the motor and the advancing mechanism. lVhen it becomes necessary to metallize large pieces and it is desired to give more liberty to the operator to move about atwill it can be arranged for the motor and the advancing mechanism to be carried at the waist or on some other convenient part of the operators body and leave the reels 7 on a fixed and appropriate support. Only in this case it is necessary to conveniently insulate that part of the wire 5 comprised between the advancing apparatus and the reels in order to avoid any Contact.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for metallization through the pulverization and projection of molten metal comprising in combination a support, wire supplyin and feeding means mounted thereon, flexible current conducting and wire guiding tubes connected with the wire feedlng means,- a cross piece of insulating material, nozzles rigidly mounted on the cross piece and connected with the tubes and having the delivery ends arranged in close relation with respect to each other, a compressed air delivering nozzle rigidly connected to the cross piece and situated between the wire delivering nozzles, a handle rigidly connected with the compressed air nozzle adjacent the cross piece and a flexible supply pipe for compressed air connected with the compressed air delivering nozzle. 2. Apparatus for metallization through the pulverization and projection of molten metal by means of an electric arc comprising in combination a main support and impelling mechanism for teedingtwo pieces of wire to be melted and pulverized, a bar of insulating material on the support and through which the wires pass, electrical contact plates mounted on the insulating bar, elongated flexible current conducting and wire guiding tubes connected with the insulating bar for receiving the wires from the impelling mechanism and also electrically connected with the contact plates, insulation coverings for said tubes, a cross piece of insulated material connected with the outer ends of the tubes, nozzles rigidly mounted on the cross piece and connected with the tubes and having the delivery portions arranged in close relation with respect to each other, a compressed air delivery nozzle rigidly mounted in the cross piece and situated between the wire delivery nozzles, a handle rigidly connected with the compressed air delivery nozzle in a position adjacent the cross piece and a flexible pipe for supplying compressed air to the compressed air delivery nozzles.

In testimony whereof, I atiix my signature,

DR. l/VILHELM a 

